The invention relates to a fill adapter for liquids to which is connected at least one liquid supply line and one extraction line for excess liquid.
Fill adapters of this type serve to supply liquid systems with their operating liquids, for example, to supply coolant circulation systems with coolant or--in the manufacture of automobiles--to supply brake systems with brake fluid or radiator systems with radiator fluid. Particularly in the automobile industry such filling processes must be performed extremely quickly while maintaining a given fill level.
Prior art fill adapters are attached to the system to be supplied by first fastening the adapter in a fill pipe of the system with the aid of a clamping device. Then a valve is opened so that the desired liquid can flow from a supply station into a system of conduits. Frequently this involves a circulating system, i.e. the liquid being supplied is removed again at another point of the system and returned to the supply station until the entire system is clean and free of gases. In the case of filling brake line systems with brake fluid, a vacum degasification of the fluid may take place additionally in the supply station.
Once the filling process is completed, the fill valve is closed and a suction valve is opened to suck off part of the liquid in the area of the fill pipe so that a precisely defined fill level is reached. The final operation is then the release of the clamping device from the respective fill pipe.